Rangers Outfielder Victim of Extortion Ring. According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami, three people conspired to extort Leonys Martin out of millions of dollars. Martin claims that, after he first defected from Cuba, a Mexican management company held him against his will and held his family hostage until he paid a “ransom” by agreeing to pay 30% of his future baseball earnings.

City Hall Tree-Huggers Go to Court. In a lawsuit filed last week, the city of Dallas is asking that developer Mario Davey pay a fine of up to $500,000 for illegally clearing an East Dallas lot of 29 trees in order to build homes. Davey just calls it “dirty politics.” It’s the first time the city has sued over a violation of the tree ordinance.